American Public Health Association

{{Short description|Washington, D.C.-based professional organization}} {{Infobox organization | name = American Public Health Association | image = APHA logo.svg | image_border = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | map = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | map2 = | abbreviation = APHA | successor = | founder = Dr. Stephen Smith | formation = {{start date and age|1872}} | extinction =  | founding_location = New York City | type =  | status = | purpose = Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status | headquarters = Washington, D.C. | coordinates =  | region_served = | num_members = 50,000 | language = | leader_title4 = Executive director | leader_name4 = Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E) | key_people = | main_organ = | parent_organization = | affiliations = | budget = | num_staff = 60 | num_volunteers = | website = {{URL |https://www.apha.org/}} | remarks = }}

Washington, D.C. office of the APHA|thumb|right The '''American Public Health Association''' ('''APHA''') is a Washington, D.C.–based professional membership and advocacy organization for public health professionals in the United States. APHA is the largest professional organization of public health professionals in the United States and hosts the largest gathering of public health professionals in the world at their annual meeting and exhibition.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} The organization focuses on a wide range of public health issues with programming related to academics, policy, capacity building, and advocacy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About APHA |url=https://www.apha.org/About-APHA |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=www.apha.org}}</ref>

== History == In 1872, APHA was founded by a group of physicians, including Stephen Smith and Henry Hartshorne.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apha.org/about/news/presskit/aphahistory.htm |title=APHA History and Timeline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403102116/http://www.apha.org/about/news/presskit/aphahistory.htm |accessdate=January 30, 2021|archive-date=2007-04-03 }}</ref> APHA has been involved in every major significant public health program of the last 150 years. A list of major milestones can be found on their website, completed in celebration of their 150th anniversary.[https://www.apha.org/About-APHA/Our-History]{{Tone inline|date=November 2024}}

== Description == APHA has more than 25,000 members worldwide.<ref>{{cite journal | jstor=983785 | title=Henry Hartshorne | author=Morris, J. Cheston | journal=Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society | year=1900 | volume=39 | issue=164 | pages=i–xii | publisher=American Philosophical Society}}</ref> The association defines itself as an organization that: "champions the health of all people and all communities. We strengthen the public health profession. We speak out for public health issues and policies backed by science. We are the only organization that combines a 150-plus year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to influence federal policy to improve the public's health." It defines its mission as: "Improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apha.org |title=American Public Health Association |publisher=APHA |access-date=2013-08-04}}</ref>

Members are organized into sections, special interest groups, affiliates, forums, and caucuses. Sections are the primary organizing units in APHA composed of individuals with shared interest in topics, practice areas, or conditions. Affiliates are state-based public health associations which are separate legal entities from APHA but collaborate closely with each having a representative on APHA's Governing Council. Forums are cross-organization bodies around an interdisciplinary health topic. Special interest groups are groups organizing around a shared interest with the goal of becoming a section. Caucuses are outside professional organizations that are organized around social issues or populations in official relation with APHA.<ref name=":0">APHA Bylaws. Accessed 24 December 2023. https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/governance/gc/apha_bylaws.ashx</ref>

== Governance == APHA is governed by a Governing Council composed of voting representatives from the various APHA member sections and independent state affiliates. The Governing Council receives reports from staff and member committees, adopts the official policy stances of the association, and elects a 24 member executive board to oversee the operations of the association. Members also serve in elected and appointed roles across the APHA member sections, committees, and several subordinate boards related to advocacy, education, science, publications, and other areas where collaboration is key.<ref name=":0" />

== Membership == APHA has five types of membership: regular, retired, early-career professional, organizational, and student.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.apha.org/membership/membership-categories|title=Membership Types and Rates|website=www.apha.org|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref> Members receive an online subscription to the ''American Journal of Public Health'' and ''The Nation's Health'' as well as a weekly newsletter, ''Inside Public Health,'' access to APHA's online community, and an extensive members only webinar series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.apha.org/membership/member-benefits|title=Your Member Benefits|website=www.apha.org|access-date=2018-07-02}}</ref>

== APHA awards ==

===National APHA awards===

The accomplishments of public health leaders are recognized through an awards program. APHA presents its national awards during its annual meeting. National APHA awards include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.apha.org/about-apha/apha-awards|title=APHA Awards|website=www.apha.org|access-date=2018-06-18}}</ref> * Sedgwick Memorial Medal * APHA Award for Excellence * David P. Rall Award for Advocacy * Helen Rodríguez Trías Award * Lyndon Haviland Public Health Mentoring Award * Martha May Eliot Award * Mortimer Spiegelman Award * Milton and Ruth Roemer Prize<ref>{{cite web |title=Milton and Ruth Roemer Prize |url=https://www.apha.org/about-apha/apha-awards/milton-and-ruth-roemer-prize |publisher=American Association for Public Health |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> * Victor W. Sidel and Barry S. Levy Award for Peace * Ayman El-Mohandes Young Professional Public Health Innovation Award

===Section awards=== Many APHA member sections also present awards in their particular field or focus area.

The Public Health Education and Health Promotion section recognizes individuals in six award categories. The awards include the Distinguished Career Award, Early Career Award, Mayhew Derryberry Award for contributions of behavioral scientists to health education, Mohan Sing Award for humor in health education, Sarah Mazelis Award for health education practitioners, and Rogers Award for public health communication.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

The Statistics section offers the Mortimer Spiegelman Award to a statistician under the age of 40 for contribution to public health statistics.<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/aphastatistics/benefits/spiegelman Mortimer Spiegelman Award - APHA Statistics Section]</ref>

Rema Lapouse Award – sponsored by the Mental Health, Epidemiology, and Statistics Sections, this award is granted to an outstanding scientist in the area of psychiatric epidemiology.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

== Publications ==

The American Public Health Association publishes more than 70 public health books. Several of these are the reference source for their specialty within public health practice. Some publication titles include: * Control of Communicable Diseases Manual * ''Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater''<ref>{{cite book |title=Standard Methods For the Examination of Water and Wastewater |edition=21 |editor-last1=Eaton |editor-first1=Andrew D. |editor-last2=Greenberg |editor-first2=Arnold E. |editor-last3=Rice |editor-first3=Eugene W. |editor-last4=Clesceri |editor-first4=Lenore S. |editor-last5=Franson |editor-first5=Mary Ann H. |year=2005 |publisher=American Public Health Association |isbn=978-0-87553-047-5 |id=Also available on CD-ROM and [http://www.standardmethods.org/ online] by subscription}}</ref> * ''Landesman's Public Health Management of Disasters: The Practice Guide'' * Public Health Newswire * Black Women's Reproductive Health and Sexuality: A Holistic Public Health Approach<ref name="release">{{Cite press release |title=APHA releases two groundbreaking books tackling health equity and reproductive health |url=https://apha.org/News-and-Media/News-Releases/APHA-News-Releases/2023/APHA-Health-Equity-Books-Released |access-date=2023-09-28 |publisher=APHA}}</ref> * Health Inequities and African Americans: A Comprehensive Examination<ref name="release" />

In addition, APHA publishes the ''American Journal of Public Health'', a monthly peer-reviewed public health journal covering public health and policy. APHA also publishes ''The Nation's Health'', a monthly newspaper covering public health news and APHA updates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.apha.org/publications-and-periodicals|title=Publications & Periodicals|website=www.apha.org|access-date=2018-06-18}}</ref>

== Annual meeting ==

The APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition is the largest meeting of public health professionals in the world. The meeting draws more than 13,000 attendees, offers 700 booths of exhibits and features more than 1,000 scientific sessions, representing the full spectrum of public health issues as well as the multifaceted nature of APHA in relation to the advancement of science and public health advocacy. Presentations cover new research and trends in public health science and practice.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Librarian|first=IntraHealth|title=APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition: Politics, Policy and Public Health|url=https://www.hrhresourcecenter.org/apha.html|access-date=2021-01-27|website=www.hrhresourcecenter.org|language=en}}</ref>

== National Public Health Week ==

National Public Health Week is an observance organized annually by APHA during the first full week of April.<ref name="NPHW" /> The week’s activities are designed to raise awareness around issues that are important to improving the public’s health.<ref name="NPHW">{{cite web |title=About NPHW |url=https://nphw.org/About-NPHW |website=American Public Health Association |access-date=20 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320142031/https://nphw.org/About-NPHW |archive-date=20 March 2024 |language=English}}</ref>

== Affordable Care Act == In June 2019, The American Public Health Association firmly condemned official litigation with the United States of America by the Trump administration. At the end of the Trump administration, the APHA opposed a legal filing with the Supreme Court which would have repealed the Affordable Care Act.<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 June 2020|title=American Public Health Association Opposes Administration Legal Action on Affordable Care Act|url=https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/american-public-health-association-opposes-administration-legal-action-on-affordable-care-act#.Xvqy2G0zbIU|access-date=30 June 2020|website=insurancenewsnet}}</ref> This Supreme Court case was decided in June 2021, and the court left the Affordable Care Act in place.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-17|title=Court again leaves Affordable Care Act in place|url=https://www.scotusblog.com/2021/06/court-again-leaves-affordable-care-act-in-place/|access-date=2022-01-06|website=SCOTUSblog|language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.americashealthrankings.org/ America's Health Rankings] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20111023115325/http://www.statehealthstats.org/ State Health Stats] * [http://www.apha.org/ American Public Health Association - APHA] * [http://www.childrenshealthcampaign.org/?source=wikipedia Campaign for Children's Health Care] * [http://www.ajph.org/ American Journal of Public Health - AJPH] * [http://www.apha.org/publications/tnh/ The Nation's Health] * [http://www.getreadyforflu.org/ Get Ready Campaign] * [http://www.nphw.org/ National Public Health Week] * [http://www.standardmethods.org/ Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater] * [http://www.publichealthnewswire.org Public Health Newswire] {{Authority control}}

Category:Public health organizations based in the United States Category:Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C. Category:Health care-related professional associations based in the United States Category:Health education organizations Category:Organizations established in 1872 Category:1872 establishments in Washington, D.C.